OfficeMax, Office Depot in Talks to Merge

By

Anupreeta Das,

Ryan Dezember and

Ann Zimmerman

Updated Feb. 18, 2013 8:24 p.m. ET

OfficeMax Inc. and Office Depot Inc. are in advanced talks to merge, people familiar with the matter said, as the retailers of pens, paper and desks try to fight off tougher competition from rivals like Staples Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.

The deal is expected to be stock-for-stock, though precise terms couldn't be learned, including what percentage of a merged group shareholders of each company would own. The deal isn't done yet, and...